Track 4A – Internet & Social Media

Internet Marketing and Social Media –Waste of Time or Key to Success in the New Music Business?

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Artists MBA, Foundation ProgramThe internet has paved the way for the Artist Entrepreneur to create your own career without waiting for the record deal, the publishing deal or anybody to “discover” you.

But learning what you need for your business can be quickly overwhelming – do you need a website?  What should be on it?  What about Facebook?  Twitter? YouTube? GooglePlus?

In this class, we’ll explore:

  • Case Studies of Artists who are successful
  • What you need to know when it comes to Internet Marketing and Social Media
  • The fundamental do’s and don’ts best practices

Internet and Social Media Marketing, for the people using it correctly, their success is no accident. Discover how to apply it to your business and the best ways for you to use the power of the Internet to build the career YOU want!

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Internet Marketing 101

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Artists MBA, Professional ProgramSEO! SEM! PPC! Oh My!

The internet has paved the way for the Artist Entrepreneur to create your own career without waiting for the record deal, the publishing deal or anybody to “discover” you. But learning what you need to know and figuring out how to apply it to your business can quickly become overwhelming.

In this class, Debra Russell will give you the basic, fundamental, what everyone needs to know to get started, primer on internet marketing. You’ll discover:

  • What all those initials mean AND what they mean to your business
  • The difference between black hat and white hat marketing methods – or what NOT to do
  • Three quick and easy ways to drive traffic to your website

We know the internet is here to stay. We know that if you don’t have a web presence no one will take you seriously. But having a website isn’t enough. You must learn how to get people to FIND you. And that means Internet Marketing!

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WordPress Websites for Musicians – An Interview with Middle Tennessee Music

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsI’ve been saying it for years, MySpace, Facebook, ReverbNation – I don’t care – If you are (or want to be) a Professional Musician or financially sustainable Band:

YOU MUST HAVE YOUR OWN WEBSITE!

Thanks to platforms like WordPress, building your own website or hiring someone to build it for you no longer has to cost thousands of dollars.

But whether you build it yourself, or you hire someone to do it, it is up to you to decide what goes in it, on it and how it looks and feels.  I’m thrilled to have 2 specialists in building websites for musicians, Josh and Bret, to help us figure out:

  • What must every Musician/Band website have?
  • To blog or Not to blog?
  • What are the best WordPress plugins for musicians’ websites?
  • How do you integrate and brand yourself from Social Media to your website?
  • And what about SEO?

We’ll be talking about this and more!

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C Bret Campbell and Joshua Smotherman

Middle Tennessee Music is comprised of C Bret Campbell and Joshua Smotherman:

Our Work

Joshua Smotherman, Bunks Media, Middle Tennessee MusicJoshua Smotherman‘s Bio:

Back in 1999, along with a childhood friend, I started writing, producing, and recording full-time as part of the hip hop duo, BUNKS.  With no desire to ever sign a recording contract with a big label, we decided to build our own label and to use the Internet to promote the music.

Back then, Social Media did not exist, but we had services such as MP3.com and Soundclick which allowed us to create profiles, upload music, and share it with listeners across the world.  Forums and Messages Boards were the go-to sites for interacting with the independent music community. Specifically in Hip Hop, large numbers of emcees, producers, and fans spent hours engaging in writing lyrics, sharing recordings, and collaborating on instrumentals.

When Myspace became the most popular social networking site in the U.S. in 2006, we dove head-first into Social Media and began sharing and promoting our music with the Myspace community.

Shortly after, it was YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, ReverbNation, and an ever growing list of social networking services.  It became hard to keep up with everything going on, but we quickly learned that the World Wide Web was changing, growing, and evolving on a daily basis.  It was necessary to learn and maintain flexibility as well as spend a few hours each day reading and researching the latest developments.

The more time we spent with Social Media, SEO, and all the research involved; the less time we had to focus on writing music, booking shows, and releasing albums, BUT…

Other bands, venues, and indie labels noticed our presence and began asking questions. Then they began asking for help. Then somewhere along the line people started paying us for our advice as well as asking us to oversee their Internet Presence (from the Website to all their Social Media accounts).  Things began taking off in unexpected directions but we rolled with the punches and soon realized the music community could use our help.

After years of learning, researching, and throwing ideas back and forth, Middle Tennessee Music was born.

Small Barn Sound, Middle Tennessee MusicC Bret Campbell‘s bio:

C Bret Campbell is owner of Small Barn Sound recording studio in Hillsboro, TN; known for it’s artistic vibe and down home feel. The philosophy at Small Barn is that beauty and integrity of performance comes first. The drive is a desire to see the underdog succeed.

He is also Vice President of Middle Tennessee Music. Founded in 2011 as a merging of Small Barn’s promotion services with those of BUNKS Multimedia, Mid Tenn focuses on independent musicians, labels, venues, publications and web partnerships. Along with free information and promotion services Mid-Tenn act as consultant, webmaster, and online marketing director for bands, artists, indie labels, radio promo companies, and others. We build, host and maintain websites, handle social media campaigns and help build the professional team that an artist on the rise needs.

Bret has been a musician for 35 years, and involved in the music community in some way or another all of that time. He is currently making music, and writing PR and reviews. He covers Social Media forThe Saturday Independent newspaper, the Tennessee music scene for 101 Distribution, and a multitude of topics on Mid Tn and Small Barn Sound. He also organizes and participates in charity concerts for several organizations.

He is blessed to be a happily married father of 3 beautiful children who constantly give him inspiration to be the best he can be.

Social Media – The Art of Engagement

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Artists MBA, Foundation ProgramTwitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube – OH MY!

Social Media is everywhere and it’s clear that there are some Artists and business owners in the Arts & Entertainment Industry (including the Music Business, Film Industry and Publishing) who are using it to build real world success.  But there are a lot of people who are overwhelmed and confused by it, and whatever they’re doing isn’t working.

I believe that Social Media Marketing offers you an enormous opportunity never before seen.  For the people using it correctly, their success is no accident.  So, how do you apply it to your business?

In this class, we’ll explore:

  • What is Social Media and why do we care?
  • How to use Social Media Marketing as part of your overall marketing plan
  • The Do’s and DON’Ts of Social Media Marketing
  • The differences between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube and why it matters
  • How to wisely use your time on Social Media

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WordPress Website Essentials with Jesse Petersen

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsYou’ve heard me say it again and again, you need your own website. A Facebook or ReverbNation page isn’t enough. To succeed in the 21st Century, you must have a web presence all your own.

For most people there are 3 obstacles to creating their own website and in my experience, WordPress solves all three.

In this Interview with an Expert call, I’ll be talking with Jesse Petersen. We’ll look at how WordPress dissolves the biggest website obstacles. And answer the biggest questions you have about creating a WordPress Website that announces your business on the Internet and makes it fun, easy and attractive for your fans, clients and customers to play with you and buy from you.

In this Interview you’ll learn:

  • The three obstacles to a web presence and how WordPress solves them
  • How to get started with WordPress
  • The 5 most important WordPress Plugins

And so much more. Take it from this died-in-the-wool technophobe – WordPress makes the website manageable!  And Jesse makes it understandable!

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Jesse Petersen

Debra Russell, Artists Marketing and Business Academy, internet marketing, Website, WordPress, sales and marketing

Jesse has been using WordPress since “the good old 1.x days” of its development and has seen it grow from something that once took a moderate amount of techno-savvy to choose a theme into the wonderful software that it is now; with one-click updating and uploading. Over the years, he has broken his sites and his themes hundreds of times and learned a new trick every time.

In 2008, he left corporate America to become the Support Manager at iThemes, a theme development shop out of Oklahoma; working remotely from his home in sunny Florida. It was during this time that he encountered thousands of bad WordPress installation issues, server issues, theme issues, and more.  That found him quite the following of people eager to get quick, easy fixes to their WordPress problems and he always seemed to have an answer within minutes.

In February 2009, he went out on his own, forming Petersen Media Group, LLC to launch his own WordPress services company. He currently has over 100 small business and blogging clients from England to Hawaii to Tibet. His services, while very specialized in his area of greatest expertise, draw from many areas of his experience and allow him to be the complete package for those clients who want it all: logos, branding, social media training, and website design and development. This breadth of knowledge makes Jesse an excellent choice for drawing in the big picture for his clients and guiding them in the right direction, whatever their needs are or budget allows: they are certain to get a straight answer.

How to Get Started on Twitter

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Artists MBA, Professional ProgramI’ve done several calls over the last 2 years that refer to Twitter directly or indirectly, and there have been folks on those calls who either JUST started or have not yet started their Twitter account.  If this is you, what are you waiting for?

Feeling overwhelmed and just don’t know how to get started?  Well, this is the class for you.

In this class you’ll discover:

  • How to set up your Twitter account and page to maximize your key words
  • The basic Do’s and Don’ts with Twitter
  • A few irreplaceable tools for Twitter

This is a beginner’s How To class.  I recommend you listen to this class in front of a computer so that you can follow along on the screen.  Also, if you haven’t yet joined Twitter, definitely create your account by going to Twitter and clicking the big yellow “Signup” button.

I look forward to introducing you to this invaluable tool for building your business.

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How to Integrate Social Media into Your Multiple Streams Business

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Artists MBA, Professional ProgramWith Social Media (Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Reverbnation, Instagram, Youtube and on and on), you have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with, interact with and deepen your relationship with your fans, clients and customers – FOR FREE! For every artist who is taking great advantage of these tools, there are thousands of you who are using them poorly, quitting after a few weeks, or even avoiding them all together.  And I say, what a wasted opportunity!

In this class, we will examine:

  • Why you absolutely MUST be active in social media to build a profitable business in the 21st Century
  • How to use the Multiple Streams model to make your Social Media strategy effective and efficient
  • The top 3 mistakes to avoid with Social Media
  • How to use Social Media to your best advantage for all 8 steps of the Multiple Streams model

No matter what business you’re in, you simply cannot afford to miss this opportunity.

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Twitter for Artists – An Interview with Carla Lynn Hall

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsIf you’re not using, or haven’t gotten the hang of, Twitter yet, it’s a great social networking tool that enables you to get your point across in 140 characters or less. It’s a great way to start and build relationships in less time than it take to send an email.

People who are unfamiliar with Twitter often get bored before they see the opportunity that’s available. If you’ve given up on your Twitter account, or want to learn how you can use it to build your business, this workshop is for you!

In this class you’ll discover:

  • How to get followers
  • How to promote your gigs, music, photography, etc
  • How to get new visitors to your website
  • How to meet and communicate with fans and industry professionals

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Carla Lynne Hall

Debra Russell, Artists Marketing and Business Academy, Carla Lynn Hall, Twitter, social media, outsourcing, Social Networking, Sales and Marketing, internet marketing, listCarla Lynne Hall is a musician and music marketing consultant based in New York City. Her mission is to make music and share her knowledge with other musicians. As a musician, she has released three CDs on her own label, and has toured the world as a singer/songwriter, and professional vocalist. In addition, she also has spent a number of years behind the scenes in the music industry, in publishing, management, publicity, and radio promotion.

Carla is the host of Musicians Lunch, a monthly musician’s gathering in NYC, and other cities around the US. Carla has given indie music lectures at many venues, including ASCAP, Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, The Indie Music Forum, and Philadelphia Music Conference.

Get more information about Carla and check out her ebook – Twitter for Musicians at:

Twitter For Musicians

Social Media – An Interview With Ariel Hyatt, CyberPR

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsTwitter, Facebook, Instagram, oh my!

Social Media is everywhere – but what is it really?

And how do you incorporate it into your smart marketing plan, efficiently and effectively?

Debra interviews Ariel Hyatt from Cyber PR, who enlightens us with:

  • An overview of Social Media
  • The top 3 mistakes people make with social media
  • Specifically how to use social media to expand your fanbase and make more money!

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Ariel Hyatt

Debra Russell, Artists Marketing and Business Academy, Ariel Hyatt, Music Promotion, PR, Social Media, twitter, internet marketing, social media marketing, social networking

From left, Dean Krippaehne, Vikki Flawith, Ariel Hyatt, Derek Sivers, Debra Russell, TAXI Panel

Ariel Hyatt is the founder of Ariel Publicity & Cyber PR a New York based digital PR firm that connects artists, authors and filmmakers to blogs, podcasts, internet radio stations and social media sites. Over the past 13 years her firm has represented over 1,400 musicians of all genres.

Educating musicians is her passion and her philosophy is: combine social media with Internet marketing to help artists grow their fanbase and increase their income.

Several times a year, she leads sold-out workshops to musicians and music industry professionals looking to learn about Social media and online marketing. Her bi-weekly ezine and YouTube series “Sound Advice” has over 10,000 subscribers and she is a contributing blogger to Music Think Tank.

Ariel has written dozens of articles on how to navigate the “new” music business and her book: Music Success in Nine Weeks is available at Amazon.

Website Maximizer: Is your website selling you?

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artists-marketing-business-academy-interview-with-expertsIn this month’s Interview with an Expert, I am honored to welcome back as a guest speaker, Jeri Goldstein, author of How to Be Your Own Booking Agent: The Musician’s & Performing Artist’s Guide to Successful Touring.

In this workshop, Jeri Goldstein helps you to focus on your unique audiences, and create a unique experience for each of your audiences by making small and sometimes huge changes in your web presence set up.

In addition to your main web site, we touch on your blogs and your social marketing sites.  This class is applicable to any area of the Arts and Entertainment industry as we create a focus on your own unique audience or multiple audiences.

Jeri Goldstein, former agent and manager, now author and music business and performing arts consultant offers strategies and techniques on booking tours, negotiation techniques, marketing, music business and performing arts career development.

Jeri’s award-winning book, How To Be Your Own Booking Agent, The Musician’s & Performing Artist’s Guide To Successful Touring now in it’s 7th printing, is used as a text book in Music Business courses at Universities across the US and in Canada and by musicians and performing artists world-wide. Jeri Goldstein now provides valuable resources, instruction and consulting to musicians and performing artists as they navigate the entertainment industry on their way to creating a successful performing arts touring career.

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Jeri Goldstein

Debra Russell, Artists Marketing and Business Academy, Jeri Goldstein, Internet Marketing, Social Media MarketingJeri Goldstein, often referred to by her students and clients as Dr. Gig, teaches self-motivated musicians and performing artists how to Get Great Gigs and create tours that make more money. Become a Gig Magnet using the artist-tested strategies and resources Jeri has developed. Learn how to book more events in your uniquely targeted niche market more easily. Jeri helps you narrow your focus to expand your audience and build a larger, more appreciative fan-base. Touring is often the life blood of a performing artist. She is committed to providing you with the tools you need to create profitable tours and achieve your career goals.